


Man No More Than Animal Is Made Of Moral Chemicals

by Restekel



Category: The Last Kids on Earth (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, End of the World, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jack Needs a Hug, Kidnapping, Monsters, Team as Family, Wounds, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:48:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28251915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Restekel/pseuds/Restekel
Summary: He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's a new creature lurking around Wakefield that's hunting humans down, Jack manages to fall into one of their traps while out one day.
Relationships: Dirk Savage & Jack Sullivan, June Del Toro & Jack Sullivan, Quint Baker & Dirk Savage, Quint Baker & Jack Sullivan, Quint Baker & June Del Toro
Comments: 18
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this wild ride of 4am writing, if you're new here I want to apologize for my weird freaking writing style that makes absolutely no sense to me.
> 
> With that in mind please enjoy!
> 
> And thanks to everyone for the support on all of my other pics (You know who you are) You are all lovely human beings that have spurred me on to write this.

"Annnd the general store has been mapped." Jack jotted the paper. Him and Rover were out for the day mapping the other side of the town to make it easier for the group to travel if they needed anything from outside their area. 

"See bud, isn't this fun?"He turned towards his pet, Rover huffed in response, rolling his eyes. "Yea I guess you're right, but this is to keep us all safer. It's better to be prepared for a quest in the future." Jack walked over and rubbed the monster dogs face affectionately. 

Jack began to stride away to map out another location, turning back at the sound of Rover growling. He glanced behind him to see the dog staring at the entryway of an alleyway.

"What's up buddy?" He asked cautiously, pulling his slicer off of his back. "Is something over there?"

He crept closer with Rover right next to him, ready for an attack. He wasn't prepared for a dart to fly out of the alley into his pals thick fur. Rover went down quickly, Jack rushed over to the dog, kneeling beside him, and stroking the fur around Rovers face. "Bud! Are you ok!?" He became distraught as the monster dog shut his eyes.

He stood up, holding his sword in front of him as the creatures stepped out of the alleyway. "What did you do to him!?" Jack demanded, stepping in front of his friend in hopes of protecting him.

"Don't worry human, it was only a tranquilizer. He wasn't the one we were after."

Jack faltered at the ominous words. "What do you mean? Who are you guys anyways?" He spoke, reversing backwards as the creatures crept closer.

"We are the Collectors. Our job is to hunt down rare species, and from what we've seen, you humans are close to being extinct." They advanced on the teen, the four of them attempting to circle around him to catch him off guard. "You will become apart of our exhibit."

"Well I hate to break it to you all, and thanks for the offer, but I really don't feel like being caged like an animal, I'm more of a free range human, if you know what I mean." He shrugged before bolting out of the circle. 

He heard the creatures outcry of shock at his action. "Don't let it get away!" 

He continued to run down the street, listening to them catch up with him easily. He felt a tug on his backpack, one of the Collectors had grabbed onto it, he spun around until the sac had slipped off, and used the blunt end of his weapon to wind the creature. The lackey dropped the backpack when he had realized that his prize was no longer attached to it. 

Jack felt more uncomfortable the further he strayed from Rover, he didn't know if his loyal pet was in trouble or not. Making a split second decision he looped around back towards his friend, the Collectors right on his tail.

He let out a breath when the dog was back in his vision. He turned back towards the monsters, holding his baseball bat ready to attack. "Please, I don't want to fight any of you, just leave us alone." Jack pleaded, the Collectors advancing as if he was a feral animal.

"It is our mission to ensure the capture of any creatures we believe are worthy of being apart of our collection." The leader spoke up, inching closer.

Jack continued to back up, slashing any of the individuals that got too close. "Like a zoo?" He sneered in disgust.

"That is correct. Now grab it." The leader ordered his lackeys, Jack dashed out of their grip each time they attempted to seize him, whacking another arm away as it got too close.

"Come on buddy, right now would be a great time for you to wake up." Jack mumbled towards Rover, the distraction was all one of the lackeys needed to grab him by the collar of his shirt. He dropped his bat at the startle.

Jack fought against the hold, thrashing in the monsters grip to get it to let him go. The Collector became fed up with him as he continued to struggle within the grasp, before he realized it he was being thrown into a wall with enough force to make his ribs crack.

As he landed on the ground white hot pain enveloped throughout his chest, he coughed to loosen the weight wrapped around his lungs. He cried out as he attempted to move, becoming lightheaded at the action.

He glanced towards his friend, noticing that Rover was awake, albeit still fighting the effects of the tranquilizer. He watched the dogs hazy eyes track his movement with worry, he put as much confidence into his expression as possible to ease the concern of the dog.

Jack cradled his aching ribs, he watched in fear as the monsters advanced on him, taking one more brief look at Rover to give himself the boost of confidence he needed, he picked himself off the ground, sprinting as fast as his injuries would allow away from the group. 

He accomplished good distance from the hunters, but made a mistake in looking behind him. He silently collapsed as electricity made its way up his torso, he panicked as his muscles locked up as he fell to the pavement. His last sight was of the monster pulling the taser from his body, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Rover watched his master crumple to the ground without a sound, still too weak to do anything from the dart, all he could do was observe the creatures throw the unconscious teen into a glowing sac, before they moved away with their prize.

Rover whimpered from his spot on the ground, he kept his eyes on the group until they were out of his sight, only then he allowed the drug to take over. He placed his head on the pavement, feeling sorrow for his friend as his vision darkened once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something that keeps bothering me is the way that the title of this fic seems like I had a stroke when writing it but... nope, they're lyrics
> 
> Anyways enjoy chapter 2

"They should be back by now, it's starting to get dark." Quint gulped. The trio were sitting on the balcony of the treehouse waiting for Jack to return, Quint had been pacing back and forth, his shoes clacking against the wooden floor.

"He's not answering his walkie... Do you think something happened to the nerd?" Dirk panicked holding his head in his hands. "Do you think he's been turned into a zombie!?" He yelled out, throwing a rock into the air with as much force as he could.

June stayed silent as she stood by the edge watching for any sign of Jack and Rover. She sighed as she listened to the two unnerved teens, becoming more worried as the clock ticked on.

"What if Rezzoch accomplished her goal? She's still out there, she's got a vendetta for Jack now." Quint hyperventilated, tightening his grip on the walkie.

"Alright, you two have got to stop this, you're overreacting, I'm sure Jack's fine... He's just late." June spoke up, attempting to calm the others down.

"I'm sure you're right, but it's been hours since we've last heard anything from him, isn't that the least amount of suspicious." Quint replied, motioning to the outside of the treehouse.

"It won't do us any good to get worked up, you are right, this isn't normal. Right now I chose to believe that the idiot forgot to turn his walkie back on. You both have to calm down." June said as she walked over and placed her hands on Quints shoulders to bring him back from the panic. The teen let out a heavy breath at the action. "Better?"

"Not exactly, but it's a start." Quint replied, shrugging his shoulders as he checked the walkie again.

They were both startled out of the moment by Dirks outburst. "They're back!" He turned towards the two as he pointed out the silhouette in the distance.

Quint and June raced over to the balcony at the shout. When they spotted the silhouette they let out a sigh of relief, until they realized that Rover was sprinting towards the treehouse in a panic, without Jack.

The group rushed down the ladder to meet up with the monster dog. June ran over to Rover, placing her hands around his face to get him to steady down, she could see the regret in his eyes and felt her own tear up. "Where's Jack?" She asked calmly, stroking the fur on the dogs forehead. 

Rover burst out of her grasp turning back towards the way he came from, looking at the group as if telling them to follow him.

"Guys?" Dirk spoke up hesitantly, looking worried once again.

"Go get into Big Mama, Rover will lead us to Jack." June commanded, jumping onto the monsters back.

The two boys nodded, rushing over to the large truck and getting it started. Rover ran just in front of the truck as they pulled out of the town centre, there was no laughter or music from the group, they were on a mission to find their friend.

They made their way to the other side of the city, the boys hopping out of Big Mama with a slam of the doors as Rover came to a halt.

"I don't see him anywhere." Quint shouted as he looked around.

"JACK?" Dirk yelled out, hoping that the teen would answer them back.

June glanced over to Rover, noticing that he was focused on a point on the ground, she wandered over to the dog to see what he was looking at.

"What do you have there boy?" She asked, giving his ear a quick scratch as she bent down to pick up the object.

She breathed in sharply when she realized it was Jacks beloved slicer. "Guys!" She shouted, gaining the attention of the boys. When they made their way over she showed them the object. "Jack isn't here." She looked over to Rover. "Is he bud?" The monster dog lowered his head when she asked the question, she could tell that he felt responsible for their friends disappearance. 

"Then where could he be?" Quint asked panicked, throwing his arms up at the exclamation.

Dirk pulled their focus over to him but holding up the discarded backpack. "This is why he wasn't responding to the walkie."

"What happened here Rover?" June requested as the situation became more confusing. The monster dog led her over to a very small object. "A dart?" She picked it up, assessing the item. Rover whimpered when she touched it. "You were shot with this, weren't you?" She speculated as she held up the gadget. Rovers whine confirmed her suspicion.

She sighed shakily as she stood up, she walked back over to the boys. "Lets get back to town, I think we've got everything from here. We need a plan now... and maybe some help."

"I agree, we need to find our friend." Quint stammered out, all of them worried about Jack.

\------------------------

The sac was tossed into the enclosure, thrown to the ground without any care for the contents inside. 

As the large metal door shut with a clang, a few of the patrons of the enclosure came out of hiding to inspect the sac. Sending a dirty look up towards the creatures watching them.

One of them opened it up, gasping at the sight of a young boy unconscious inside. 

"It's another human, we have to help him."

"Bring him inside Barb, quickly."

Barb gently took the boy out of the bag, carefully making her way back towards the shelter. The other two shut the door behind her as she laid the boy out on one of the beds provided to them all.

"He's so young." 

"He's waking up." Barb spoke up, watching his eye lids flutter open.

"R-Rover?" The boy mumbled quietly, turning his head in the direction of the three strangers, looking confused the more he came out of unconsciousness .

"You're alright, can you tell me your name?"

The boy paused for a moment, before nodding. "It's Jack."

"Hi Jack, do you remember what happened?"

"I was attacked." Jack replied, his voice getting stronger as he attempted to sit up. He flinched as his torso throbbed.

"Are you injured anywhere Jack?" Barb asked, bringing his focus back onto her.

"I-" He wrapped his arms around his chest, finding it hard to take in a full breath.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Barb held her hand out cautiously.

Jack lifted his shirt up enough to show her, her breath hitched at the sight of the bruise left from the electrical current and broken ribs. Her hand delicately traced over the injury, knowing that it was causing him quite a bit of discomfort.

"Are you having any trouble breathing Jack?" 

"Um, yea, it feels like I'm not getting enough air." He replied, keeping an eye on her as she examined his torso.

She let out a heavy breath. "I can't do anything to help you from in here, and they refuse to give us any supplies, I may be a doctor, but I can't fix this with what we've got." She stood up, folding her arms over her chest.

"Don't blame yourself for this Barb, it's those idiots who won't let us leave or give us anything of use." One of the other people spoke up, getting angry at the situation.

Barb glanced towards Jack, noticing that he still looked confused. "I'm sorry, we haven't introduced ourselves yet have we?" She smiled at the young boy. "My name is Barb if you haven't already guessed." She gestured towards the one who spoke up moments before. "This is Grey, they're really cool once you get to know them." 

Grey waved as they were mentioned. "Hello, sorry about... you know, the whole kidnapped and being treated like a zoo animal thing." Jack waved back with a small smile as Grey tried to put some humour on the situation.

Barb walked over to the third human in the room. "This is William, he's been here the longest." She looked towards the small group before turning back to Jack. "We stick together here, we take care of each other."

"Is there any way out?" Jack asked, his hope dwindling as he watched the trio's faces fall.

"We've tried, they've always found ways to keep us in." Grey answered, shrugging their shoulders.

He inhaled sharply as an idea popped into his head. "Rover!" 

Barb and Grey shared a confused look before Bark piped up. "Rover?"

"He was with me when I was taken, if he alerts the rest of my friends, they might be able to stage a rescue mission." Jack rejoiced, watching the other three gain hope. "I have faith in him."

"I don't know you too well, but... This might be our best bet." Grey spoke up. "If you believe that he can help us, then I do too."

Jack smiled at them, his face twisting into a grimace as pain flared up in his torso. "Ugh." He grunted as his head dipped down.

Barb was immediately at his side, holding him up to stop him from falling over. "Jack? Are you alright?"

His eyes shut tightly as he brought his hands up to his temple. "Dizzy." He mumbled out, attempting to take a deep breath.

"Just breathe kiddo, you need air." Barb soothed, rubbing his back while she talked to him. 

He coughed as his lungs began to constrict, the sound making everyone in the room grimace. After a moment he took a deep breath, slumping into himself as the pain turned into a throb.

"There you go." Barb let out a sigh. "Get some rest, we'll have time to talk when you're feeling better."

Jack didn't argue as Grey helped him to lay back down, he could hear their murmurs of worry as he drifted off.

\----------------------

The treehouse was bustling with energy, the gang was gathering items and weapons to go and find their friend. They had loaded Big Mama up with everything they would need.

"Alright, let's get moving." June insisted once they closed the boot on the truck.

"And where are you all off to?" The group all turned suddenly at Bardles appearance, looking at him as if they were scorned children.

"We're off to find Jack. Something took him, and we're going to find out what." June declared, holding up the dart. Bartle gasped when she held it out.

"I recognize that handiwork." He took a closer look at the object. "I know where Jack is."

"You do?" All three of the teens remarked in disbelief.

"Yes, although I do not advise you to go to the location." Bardle stated, grabbing the dart from Junes hand.

"And why not?" Quint demanded, stepping closer to the man, attempting to intimate him, without any success.

"The creatures that took Jack are very dangerous, and from what I can tell, humans are their main prize at the moment. If you all were to wonder into their territory you would be in the same predicament as Jack." The group looked at Bardle as if he were crazy. "He is safe... for now, but we will need to do more planning if we ever want a chance to get Jack back."

"What do you propose?" June asked, knowing that the elder already had a plan in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mornin, how are y'all doing?  
> Excited for the holidays?   
> Thats good.
> 
> Comments and Kudos make my day!
> 
> Btw, anyone here play Sky Children of the Light? I've kinda been looking for some new friends on there.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Hope you all are having a good day!

Late at night, while Grey and William had gone to bed, Barb stayed up with Jack while he ate the lousy meal the Collectors had prepared for the group, She had decided to let him sleep instead of waking him up to eat with the others, waiting for him to get up to give him his share.

"You remind me of my son." Barb spoke up softly, looking over at Jack.

"What- what was he like?" Jack asked after taking a bite of the meal, grimacing at the taste.

Barb smiled sadly as she thought of her boy. "James was incredible, always wanting to do the right thing, even if it caused him distress." She took a breath. "He was such a caring young man, and had a bright smile that would light up the room."

"He sounds like a great person." Jack chuckled. "I really hope you find him someday."

"I do too. You look just like him, you know. You have the same dark hair and spark in your eyes." She replied as a few tears escaped her. "But what about you Jack? Do you have any family?"

Jack startled at the question, flinching as it agitated his ribs. "Oh! Yea, they're great, We all live in a treehouse together in the middle of a monster filled town. There's Quint, Aka my best bud, and the smartest guy I know. June is the most badass girl I've ever met, and she's really pretty." He blushed as he thought about his crush, missing the soft smile from Barb. "And then there's Dirk, this macho guy that used to be the school bully, who's actually really caring once you get to know him."

Barb stared at Jack in shock at his answer as he continued to eat. "So what you're saying, is that, you chose to live in a monster infested town? With other teens? Aren't your parents worried?"

"I wouldn't say it's monster infested, they're actually pretty cool now that we've formed an agreement with them about the defeat of the destroyer of worlds. June and Quint are trying to find anything about their parents whereabouts, I've got no clue about Dirk. But... I'm an orphan, my foster family abandoned me at the start of the apocalypse, my friends are my family." 

"You know what, the apocalypse has already happened, I'm not even going to question it." Barb stated, shaking her head. "I'm sorry though, about your parents, I'm sure they would be proud of you."

Jack looked towards her confused. "What do you mean?"

"If they were still here... I know they wouldn't have abandoned you."

"But that's exactly what they did, they're not dead- At least I don't think they are- But they chose to give me up when I was younger, they walked out on me like I was a-a nat in their lives." Jack ranted, his hands clenching into fists at the thought.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot there were people like that with all the death around us... But that's what James' dad did to us. I'm sorry you had to go through that." Barb stuttered out, becoming flustered at the idea of her ex walking out on their family.

Jack sighed as he calmed himself back down, he leaned against the wall, looking up at the roof while he continued. "Honestly... I'm thankful for the apocalypse, without it I would never found my true family." "My parents gave up the right to be apart of it the moment they decided I wasn't worth the trouble..."

"If it's any consolation." Barb placed her hand onto Jacks shoulder in a motherly fashion. "I think that they're missing out on something great."

"Thanks." He smiled sadly before yawning.

"You should get some rest, you're going to need it if you want a chance for those to heal." She gestured towards his ribs. He chuckled as she helped him to lay down, he was out the moment his head hit the pillow.

Barb walked over to her own bed, her head full of thoughts about the whereabouts of her own son, feeling sorrow as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

\-------------------

"The Collectors." Bardle tapped the table the group was sitting at to make a plan. "They're hunters by nature, and don't care about anything but their prize. They don't kill, but they aren't afraid to injure if necessary." 

"So, they just accumulate species?" Quint observed, tilting his head in a questioning manner.

"Exactly. The only way we're going to be able to get Jack back is if we get rid of all of them."

Skaelka raised her axe. "Why don't we just slash them to bits?" June silently pointed to her, as if she was in on the idea.

"As much as I would enjoy that very much, there is too much at stake to go in axe a blazing." Bardle responded, getting a wounded look from Skaelka. "No, this will have to be crafted carefully. They will allow me into their territory without capture, you four will go nowhere near the place until we are ready."

"Aww, I wanted to take some heads off though." 

Bardle sighed, pinching his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Quint, are you able to build some contraptions for us?"

"That I can do." He beamed, giving a thumbs up.

"We cannot do anything until tomorrow, I would advise you all to rest until then." Bardle stood up, pulling Skaelka along with him out of the treehouse. "Jack will be fine, do not fret friends."

Dirk spoke up first after the two monsters left. "It's kinda... quiet in here." The group looked around, becoming uneasy at the lack of life in the home.

"It's strange without him, I'm really worried." June added, wrapping her arms around herself.

The three stayed silent at the table, startled out of it by the sound of the monsters across the street.

"Im going to head to bed, good night guys." June said sadly, getting up and going to her room. 

Dirk and Quint shrugged before going off towards their own rooms, a long sleepless night ahead of them all.

\------------------------

"June?" She opened her eyes to the street from earlier at the sound of a voice.

"June?" She turned around, hearing the echo from behind her.

"Jack?" She questioned, continuing to look around for any sign of the boy.

"Why didn't you save me June?" 

"Where are you Jack!?" She yelled out, getting frantic at not being able to see where his voice was coming from.

"I'm right behind you." She turned, stifling a scream at the sight before her. "You could've saved me." Black eyes met her own, void of any spirit inside of them, dark veins spreading throughout his face causing him to look haunted. "Why didn't you?" He became more angry as blood dripped from his shirt.

She was frozen as he began to limp towards her, she backed up by a couple of steps as he got close.

He stopped right in front of her, his hollow eyes glaring deep into her soul. "Why didn't you?" He asked defeated, she could feel the tears begging to drip down her own cheeks.

"Jack, please." She reached out to touch his chest, stuttering as her hand went right through.

"You failed." He looked at her with desperation, fading away into nothing. She screamed his name as she watched him reach out for her before he was gone.

"JACK!" She bolted up in her bed room, heaving breaths as her mind caught up to where she actually was.

"It was only a dream..." She let out another round of breaths. "It was only a dream." She reassured herself, unable to get the vision of Jack fading from her mind.

She got up out of her bed to walk around, only realizing that she wandered into Jacks room when she stepped on one of his action figures.

Tears flooded her eyes at the sight of the empty room usually full of joy and life. The little hula girl he had gained an emotional connection to sat on his bedside table, her skirt swaying in the breeze, not even she could bring the light back into the room.

June tapped the top of the hula girl, a sad smile adorning her face as she bopped the little figure.

A beam of light shone from behind her, making her turn around quickly.

"June?" A figure stepped into her vision. "What are you doing in here."

"Sorry Quint, I had a hard time sleeping."

"Thats understandable friend, I'm having the same thoughts as you."

"Oh great, a party." The two teens turned towards the door to find Dirk standing in the entrance.

June chuckled, which turned into full blown laugher from the group. 

When they settled down Quint spoke again. "We all miss him, and we're all worried, it would make sense for us to come in here to feel as if he was close." The other two nodded at the statement. 

"So, now what?" Dirk asked, shifting his glance from June to Quint.

"Well nobody's getting any sleep tonight, anybody up for some card games?" June suggested with a shrug, the boys agreeing as they made their way to the main room where they would play board games for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays guys! Hope you are all safe and healthy!  
> Looks like I'm going to be spending the next few day at home building igloos and tow sledding, my car is currently stuck with how much snow we got (At least its a white Christmas)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! And as a present I'll probably have the next chapter out later today!
> 
> (Also don't mind some of the dialogue, I honestly couldn't think of any other way to bring up his parents...so just roll with it.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone!   
> I'm making do on the second chapter for today so enjoy!

Bardle walked to the gate with confidence, knowing that the group was huddled around the walkie back at the treehouse. "I have heard that you guys have a new collection." 

The gate attendant smirked as he called his leader over.

"Is that who I think it is?" The man rejoiced at the sight of the mystic. "Bardle, old friend, I haven't seen you since we came to this universe.""But never mind about that, you're here to see our group of humans, aren't you?"

Bardle stayed stoic as the leader made his way closer. "I am in fact, when I heard you managed to find some of this planets residents I had to come see for myself."

The leader gestured for Bardle to follow him. "Well come along then, I shouldn't keep you waiting."

As Bardle walked through the zoo, he became more and more unnerved by the sight of all the caged creatures, most of them sneered at the group in disgust.

"And here we are." The Collector indicated to an enclosure deeper in the ground, it had been modified by the aliens to have a bubble over the top. "This species enjoys hiding from what we've observed, they spend most of their time inside the shack." He looked towards one of his lackeys. "Get them out, we must give our friend the best experience here."

The lackey nodded, yelling down for them. "Humans, your presence is requested."

Bardle watched the door open by an inch, closing for a moment before three people exited the small shack looking defeated.

The humans lined up, glancing up towards the Collectors with complete and udder hatred.

The Leader did a double take when he realized that they were missing one. "Where is the youngest of your species?" He demanded from the group of humans.

"He's resting inside." Barb gestured towards the hut. "We didn't want to wake him."

"I suggest that you do. I promised my friend here a look at our humans, and I always follow through with my promises." 

"He's injured, please, I beg of you to leave the boy alone." 

"Bring him out." The Collector slammed his hands onto the bars, making everyone flinch.

Barb sighed solemnly after regaining her composure, walking over to the hut and giving the door a quick knock before entering.

Jack was still on the bed fast asleep, she observed the stuttered rise and fall of his chest for a moment, imagining her own son being with her once again.

"Jack, I need you to wake up." She shook his shoulder lightly, watching his face crinkle as his eyes opened.

"What- Whats goin on?" He asked sluggishly, wincing while he sat up. Barb held her hand to his back to help him as he moved.

"Are you able to get up? We need to go outside." Jack nodded his head at the question, using Barb to lean on for support.

They made their way out of the hut as quick as they possibly could. Joining the group Jack looked up towards the Collectors, gasping when he recognized Bardle among them.

As his eyes met his friends, the elder held a finger to his lips, conveying to Jack to stay quiet about knowing each other. Jack nodded slightly at the message, slumping into Barbs arms more as the pain in his ribs flared up.

"Impressed yet Bardle?" The leader asked smugly, leaving Bardle speechless as he continued to watch Jack struggle to stay upright within the woman's arms. "This could possibly be the last of their species that we have here."

"The young one, he looks injured, I hope you don't mind if I try and help." Bardle speculated, folding his hands together.

"Go ahead and try, none of them will let us near it." The lackey laughed from beside him, gesturing for Bardle to go ahead.

Bardle sneered at the group of Collectors as he walked away, feeling disgusted at their thoughts towards anybody else than themselves.

He climbed down the stairs to get to where the humans were being kept, coming to a large metal door at the end. He exhaled before unlocking and opening it.

Immediately the people inside were on guard at his presence, placing themselves in front of Jack who was kneeling on the floor with Barb next to him.

"We know you want him, why?" Grey demanded, looking at Bardle with hatred in their eyes.

"Grey- He's good." Jack spoke up, tugging onto their shirt sleeve to get their attention.

"Listen to Jack, I am only here to help." The humans relaxed at the statement, allowing Bardle to get closer. "You are injured, no?" Bardle bent down next to Jack, placing his hand onto the young boys shoulder in a comforting manner.

"A couple of cracked ribs, I'm afraid they might've punctured a lung with how he's been breathing, but I can't say for sure." Barb spoke up, looking at the older man with sympathy.

"I will have to bring him somewhere with more medical supplies before I can do anything, but don't you fret friends, he will be safe." He responded, picking himself up from the floor.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Jack spoke up as Barb helped him stand, giving him a pat on the shoulder before he stumbled off with Bardle. 

He flinched at the sound of the metal door slamming close, feeling relief in getting out of the enclosure for the first time since he had gotten to the zoo.

Bardle led him to a secluded medical centre down the hallway, they stayed silent until the door was shut and locked in fear of the Collectors figuring out that they knew each other.

"Is everyone alright? Rover?" Jack asked the moment that the door was closed.

"Everybody is fine Jack, just worried about you." Bardle responded as he used his magic to gather a few of the items in the room. Jack let out a sigh at the fact that his family was safe.

"It's really good to see a familiar face." Jack spoke up as he played with the frayed hem of his shirt. "But why haven't we left yet?"

"This isn't a rescue mission... Yet. I am here to guarantee your safety. The Collectors are ruthless creatures who will stop at nothing to retrieve their hunt, as told by your broken ribs." He gestured towards where the bones were. "Don't worry friend, you will be back to your family soon enough... in fact." Bardle held out a walkie, Jack hesitantly grabbed it, looking towards the elder for permission to use it.

He clicked the button once he got a nod, letting out a heavy exhale before he spoke. "Hello?"

He was bombarded by three voices the moment the word was out of his mouth. "Jack!"

He immediately beamed at being able to hear his friends again. "Guys!" He clutched the walkie closer. "I'm really glad to hear from you all."

"Are you doing alright friend? You're not hurt or anything?" Quints voice came through the walkie sounding concerned, Jacks hand automatically went to his ribs, the pain making itself known again.

"I'm doing good buddy, there's nothing to worry about." Bardle raised his eyebrow at Jack as he spoke, getting a wave of the hand in response. "June, you'll never guess what's here." He continued, to get the topic off of himself.

"What?" She replied after the walkie was passed to her.

"There are other humans!" 

"Other people? Living people?" Excitement shone through her voice, he could almost hear the dance from his side of the walkie.

"Actual humans, Theres three of them with me. Barb is this really sweet mom who wants to find her son, and get this, she's a doctor. William is really quiet, but he's super cool once you actually get into a conversation with him. And then there's Grey, they're amazing, and I really hope I get to meet their partner one of these days with how much they talk about her. You would really like them all June." 

"Thats incredible! Actual humans!" He smiled at his friends joy.

"How are all of-" Jack let go of the button on the walkie as a fit of coughs took over, Bardle rushed over to help him get his breath back

"Jack!?" He attempted to respond to his friends worried calls, but found himself unable to get any breath into his lungs. He could vaguely hear Bardle talking next to him, as the weight around his lungs continued to get tighter.

His vision swam as his lungs convulsed for air, the sounds around him blocked out as all he could think about was getting another breath of oxygen into him.

All of a sudden everything rushed back as his body obeyed the command to breathe. He could feel the hand on his back shaking, when he opened his eyes he was surprised to see Bardles face twisted in concern. 

"I-I'm fine." Jack took in another shaky breath. "I'm fine." 

"You are not fine, the Collectors did a lot more damage than I thought." Bardle stood up, his hand still on the boy's back letting out a sigh he used his magic to bring a roll of bandages over to them both. "I can't do much here without my spell kit, I am sorry I cannot do more." He wrapped the material tightly around the boys chest to limit his movement.

"Don't worry about it man, just keep every-everyone safe, please. Don't stage a-a rescue mission until you know that all of you will be alright." Jack stammered as his injury was agitated, his face screwing up in pain.

Bardle stepped back as he tied the bandage off, lending a hand to help Jack off of the table he had been seated on, Jack wavered as he stood, gaining his balance after a moment.

Jack went to reach for the walkie, Bardle stopping him from grabbing the electronic. "Unfortunately I cannot allow you to keep this with you, it is to much of an indicator for the Collectors to figure out our plan before we can execute it. I will return the night before the rescue as a way to let you know what we will do."

Jacks smile fell at the words, letting out a sigh. "I understand, can you possibly not let the others know about the injury though?"

Bardle looked at Jack questionably. "I can't comprehend why. They're going to want to know."

"I just- I don't want them to worry. If they're worried then they're going to get themselves hurt." Jack responded, clutching his ribs tighter.

"I can't promise anything, but I will keep them safe, don't concern yourself with that." Bardle placed his hand onto Jacks shoulder one last time before they left the room.

They walked through the hallway silently once more back towards the enclosure, Bardle unlocked the large metal door, opening it to allow Jack back inside.

"Please, keep them safe Bardle." Jack requested, turning towards the elder. Bardle nodded his head as he hesitantly shut and locked the door.

Immediately the other three humans rushed over to the youngest, fretting over him as they walked back over to the hut.

"You're alright?" Barb asked once they all had privacy, looking over Jack for any new injuries.

"He didn't hurt you right?" Grey insisted, watching from on the side.

"I'm fine you guys, in fact I got to speak to my friends." Jack smiled pushing their hands away, the others relaxing at the news.

"Well what did they say?" William inquired, beginning to look excited.

"We're getting out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying the story so far, It's been in my head for weeks and I finally decided to put it into writing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ready? The angst is a coming.

Bardle was surrounded by the towns occupants the moment he returned, all of them asking about Jack.

"What happened? Why did the walkie cut out?" Quint interrupted, concern seeping into his voice.

"If everyone is done talking, I can explain everything." Bardle spoke up, waiting for the group to become silent. The teens stopped chatting as he said the words, looking at him questionably telling him to continue. "Now as I was going to explain. I did get to meet up with Jack, He is safe, we had problems with the walkie, which is why it cut out." He looked towards the group. "Does that explain everything?" The group nodded guiltily. 

"The contraptions you asked for are finished." Quint spoke up, handing one of the objects over to the mystic.

"Wonderful Quint, the will be very useful." Bardle replied as he inspected the gadget.

"When will we actually save Jack?" June asked, as she sharpened her spear.

"My best guess would be tomorrow night, I've seen their base, and know their tactics, if we do this right, we can bring him home."

The group burst out into laugher and celebration, Bardle walked away with a frown on his face, Skaelka rushed over once she realized he wasn't with the group anymore.

"Bardle! Why aren't you joining the celebration?" 

"Jack looked rough when I saw him last, he didn't go with them easily, I'll give him that." He chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell his friends? They've been worried about him." Skaelka demanded, tossing her axe onto her shoulder.

"Jack asked me not to, for good reasons anyways. I don't want to crush their spirits on the fact that their family member could die here in the town if we managed to get him back."

"Oh, that bad?" Skaelka settled, fitting the mood, Bardle nodded solemnly.

"We are not humans Skaelka, we do not know their anatomy. From what I heard from human Barb, his lung has been punctured, what I do know is that it can become fatal if not treated correctly."

"And we don't know how to treat humans." 

"No, we do not." Bardle let out a heavy exhale. "I am going to ask you to keep this a secret from the other humans until after the rescue mission, only for their safety."

"Sounds like a plan B man!" Skaelka beamed, running back to the celebration, leaving Bardle to watch from the side lines as he continued to think about the plan.

\-----------------------

Jack woke up to darkness, blinking to adjust his eyes he recognized the shack they had all been holed up in for the past few days to stay out of the sights of the collectors. A snore sounded off to the side of him, looking over he could faintly make out the shape of Grey in the bed across from him.

Groaning while he sat up, he panted a few breaths as the pain in his chest spiked once more, he hunched over as another round of coughs rattled his body, he stifled them with his hand to try and not wake anybody else up.

The coughs tapered off after a moment, he pulled his hand away from his mouth once the fit was over. Slumping with his back against the wall next to his bed he looked up towards the roof, tears filled his vision as he thought about how much he missed his family.

He tugged the scratchy blanket tighter around him, to give him more comfort, and to feel as if someone was giving him a hug. His breath hitched while his eyes widened when he noticed a dark splotch on his palm, he pulled his hand up towards his face, recognizing the splotch as blood. His breaths got shaky and shallow, when he realized that his injury was worsening.

He quickly wiped the offending substance off of his hand onto the blanket as he heard Barb grunt from her side of the room, he held his breath as he waited for her to settle back down.

"What a mess you're in, aren't you Sullivan?" He mumbled to himself, once he was no longer afraid of Barb waking up and catching him.

He hissed as his torso felt like it was on fire, clasping his hands around the area to attempt to ease the pain.

He jolted as the door of the shack was opened slowly, looking around he counted all the patrons in their beds. He became confused and weary of the newcomer, trying to see in the dim light who it could be.

"Jack?" The figure whispered, Jack let his guard down when he realized it was only Bardle.

"Over- here." He breathed out, giving his hand a quick wave to alert the mystic. He could hear the light footsteps against the wood as the man made his way over.

"Human Jack, the plan is in action, we will all be here tomorrow to set everyone here free by nightfall, can you hold on until then?" 

"Easy- peasy, I'll make sure to- to have everyone here ready to- go." He stuttered out. "I-I can feel your concern from- from here." He smirked in Bardles general direction.

"You don't sound well friend." He placed his hand upon the teens shoulder. "Your injury?"

"It's- It's gotten worse." "Bardle, I'm scared that I-I'll mess everything up." Jack confessed, his smile falling off of his face as he slumped further into the wall. "I'm scared that I'm going to get my friends killed."

Bardle frowned as he watched Jack stifled another wince, listening the wheezing breaths from the boy brought him the same fear from the previous day.

"Everyone will be alright, we'll get you all home safely." Bardle stood up, using some of his magic to relieve the pain in Jacks chest. "Better?"

Jack took a deeper breath, the stabbing sensation turning into a dull ache. "Much." He relaxed as the pain faded away. "Thanks."

"Now, get some rest. And, everyone says hi." Bardle silently left the shack, with a click of the door he was gone.

Jack laid back down, tugging the blanket around him he fell asleep again imagining being back in the treehouse with his family.

\------------------------------

"Bardle returned last night." Jack spoke up during breakfast, the three turned their heads towards him. "They're coming for us tonight."

"We'll be out of here by tomorrow!?" Grey celebrated, sharing a smile with Barb.

"I could find my wife." William said in disbelief, running his hands through his hair to quell his anxiety.

"We can all find our families!" Grey responded. "I might be able to see my girlfriend again... I miss her so much." Tears formed in their eyes as they thought about their partner.

"Barb, you could finally locate where James is!" Jack cheered, watching the older woman's face light up at the idea of being able to see her son again.

"You think?"

"Definitely!" All the humans agreed. 

"I can't wait to actually have freedom, to go where I want without being detained." Grey laughed, giving everyone the idea of being outside in the streets again.

"So what's the plan?" William asked once they had all calmed down from being joyous.

"All that Bardle told me was that we had to be ready to go by the time it turned dark, the team would handle the rest." Jack responded. 

William hummed as they learned what the plan was. "So you have no idea what they're doing exactly?"

"Just that they'll find us in here, but I trust them all to get us out of this place safely." 

"We're getting out!" Grey yelled out loud, unable to contain their excitement.

"We're getting out!" Everyone else rejoiced, Jack watched fondly as everyone jumped up and down, laughing at the scene they were making away from the prying eyes of the Collectors.

\---------------------------

It was all hustle and bustle at the treehouse, monsters and humans alike were rushing around getting everything prepared for the upcoming mission.

Big Mama was being loaded up with weapons and gadgets that Quint had produced for everybody. Along with anything else that would be of use to them.

The energy within the town was a mixture between excitement and nervousness which was reflected through all the patrons of the centre. 

The sun continued to lower in the sky as the citizens continued to work on their respective tasks.

Soon enough the moon peaked over the horizon, illuminating the sky with hues of bright reds and oranges.

"It's time to bring our friend home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That ending scene was inspired by a chinook sunset, I see them quite often and they are absolutely gorgeous bathing the world in pinks and reds and oranges.
> 
> Anyways Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! And enjoy the Boxing Day sales ;)
> 
> I love reading every one of the comments on this story, it brightens up my day every-time I get that notification, if anyone wants to start a chat go right ahead!


	6. Chapter 6

They rolled up to the gate, turning off the lights of Big Mama as they approached.

The five of them exited the truck, loaded with weapons and gear they set out on their mission.

As they drew nearer they cringed. "It's the stench of evil." Dirk commented, the rest of them becoming fearful at the idea of evil lurking around the corner at any given moment.

"Come on, the faster we find them, the faster we can get out." June spoke, holding her spear closer. "Quint, you're sure these will work?" She gestured towards the gadget on her fist.

"Of course. Bardle told me that they're deathly allergic to the same goo that we use to keep the zombies away, one hit with these will reduce them to nothing."

"Sweet!" Dirk laughed, swinging his in a threatening manner to test out the feel of it.

"Now that we're ready, can we get on with the plan?" Bardle asked, standing with his arms folded looking towards the gate with hatred.

"Ooh yes! I can't wait for battle!" Skaelka cheered, holding her axe up higher.

"Remember Skaelka, you will be the diversion until we radio you, got it?" Quint reminded the warrior, making sure she had a walkie on her.

"Got it human Quint!" She marvelled, taking off over the gate, making as much racket and noise as she could through the grounds to attract all of the Collectors her way. The alert was sounded throughout the area, signalling all of the men to go after her.

"Thats our cue, let's go." Bardle commanded, leading the group through the zoo towards where their friend was being kept.

They easily made their way through the grounds, only running into a couple Collectors along the way. They went down effortlessly and soundlessly, making it better for the team to get to where they needed.

They sprinted along the pavement, as a huddle, each doing their own task to get to the building that led to the enclosure.

The door was left unlocked by the previous staff member, allowing easy access to the stairway. The monster human team funnelled through the entrance, closing the door without a sound.

The group snuck their way down into the labyrinth , the pitter patter of their steps barely heard as they navigated through the concrete tunnel towards the metal door.

Bardle silently unlocked it with his magic, opening it with the slightest squeal of rusted metal.

They easily found the shack, opening it up to find the humans moping around the place.

"What's everyone waiting for? Let's get going, I'm sure Jack has told you that you were getting out tonight... Right?" June spoke quietly, attempting to get them up.

"Wait, where is Jack?" Quint piped in after taking a look around the room, realizing that their friend was missing.

"They took him around an hour ago, we don't know where, but they said something about wanting to observe him by himself." Barb answered, sounding concerned.

"They were ready for us..." Bardle realized out loud. "Someone overheard our plans."

"We were careful though, we made sure to talk out of their hearing range every single time." Grey spoke up, Barb looked at them concerned, placing her hand onto their shoulder in a motherly fashion.

"I do not doubt that, the Collectors are crafty individuals, they could've bugged the shelter." Bardle assured them. "What we need to do now is get all of you out of this enclosure, and find Jack."

"How are we going to do that? We don't have much time to get out of here, and we've got no clue where he could be." Dirk spoke up, throwing his hands up as he huffed.

"I could use my magic to locate his spirit, that way we will know which room he is in." Bardle answered, when he got no objections he sat down onto one of the beds. 

He effortlessly projected his spirit out of his physical form, traveling through the walls to look for their friend in each room throughout the area. 

He felt the tug towards Jacks spirit, using that as a guide of where to go he easily found the room that he had been moved to.

Making his way back to his body, he was quickly jolted back into reality. When he returned, he found himself to be stared at by many eyes.

"Well?" Quint asked hopefully.

"I have found him down a few hallways, let us depart this place." He replied standing up and opening the door.

Everybody agreed, grabbing any extra items they would need, they left the shack, the humans feeling joyous to be getting out of their cage for the first time since they had been taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the smaller chapter, it's all that I could think of.
> 
> I can tell when I've just rewatched an episode, the characters are way more like themselves in here when I have recently been able to re add them to my head.  
> Anyone else able to perfectly able to recreate a characters voice in your head from a couple of lines?
> 
> Again thank you to everyone for the support. It's amazing and I love this fanbase because of how nice you all are!


	7. Chapter 7

Making their way through the labyrinth of hallways with Bardle as their guide helped them to easily find the room they were looking for.

"Halt friends." Bardle whispered as he held them all behind one of the walls. "We've got a guard at the door." They all poked their heads around the wall to take a look.

Dirk cracked his neck and knuckles before stepping out into the hallway. "I've got this guys."

"You aren't getting past me." The lackey threatened once he noticed the human, pulling out his own weapon as he stood stronger in front of the door.

Dirk charged at the man, using his whole body weight to slam him into the door and splintering it as they went straight through. June dashed in using her gadget to take down the enemy for good.

The rest of the team filed into the room, Dirk keeping watch at the door for any more guards.

Quint gasped as he laid eyes on his friend. "Jack!" Him, June and Barb rushed over to the boy. He was unconscious on his side on one of the tables, his face pale as his breaths shuddered.

"You said he was alright! That isn't alright!" June shouted at Bardle, as she gestured towards the injured teen.

"Jack, can you hear me?" Quint trembled as he shook the boys shoulder.

Jack moaned in place of an answer, as he opened his eyes into slivers at the call.

"H-hey guys." He smiled tiredly at the group, all of them letting out a breath at the sight of him awake.

"Are you able to stand?" Barb asked, lending a hand.

"I-I think so." He replied, sitting up with assistance.

"Steady Jack, we've gotcha friend." Quint reassured as they helped the boy to his feet.

He wobbled a couple of times, wrapping his arms around his chest to ease the ache. "You guys came.." He mumbled, brightening up at the sight of all his friends unharmed.

"Of course we did, we wouldn't abandon you ever." Quint responded, giving his friend a light one armed hug.

"As nice as this reunion is, we will have company soon." Bardle spoke towards the group.

"Right!" They all agreed. 

"Oh wait!" Quint paused for a moment. "Here you go, I thought you both might like to have something to fight with." He handed Grey one of the gadgets, watching their face light up at the gift.

"Thanks!" They added, strapping it onto their wrist.

"Sorry, I only made a few of those, but I do have an extra knife if you would like?" Quint spoke to William, getting a nod back as he clutched the weapon.

Barb became Jacks crutch as they left the building, the teens plus Grey were the defence for the others as they made their way back to Big Mama.

They slowly inclined the stairs, having to stop a couple times for Jack to catch his breath.

Bardle opened the door once again, taking a peak around to make sure they didn't have any guests waiting for them at the top. "We're good to go." 

They rushed out the stairway, Quint giving Skaelka the cue to return to Big Mama. 

"We're almost there kiddo, you're doing great." Barb assured the teen next to her, his breathing had turned wheezy and it began to worry her.

Jack was suddenly ripped out of her grasp with a yelp, the group turned to find him in a chokehold with a knife to his throat.

"Willam, what do you think you're doing?" Barb gasped, reaching a hand out for Jack.

"All of you stay away." William's hands shook as the knife drew a small red line against the teens neck, his eyes becoming maniac like. 

"Think about what you're doing." June fumed, holding her spear more threateningly.

"I have thought about it!" He yelled, making Jack flinch within his grasp. "The Collectors promised that they would help me find my wife if I helped them with all of you... I can't let a deal like that pass, not in these uncertain times!" 

"You're condemning yourself and your wife to a life locked up, is that really what you want?" Barb questioned, attempting to get closer.

William jerked back from her, Jack groaned as his torso was tousled around, beginning to find it difficult to breathe once more. "All I want is her, I don't care what I have to do to get that!"

"Please William, we can help you, just let our friend go." Quint pleaded, locking worried eyes with William.

"You're too late, these Collectors are good at what they do, none of you, NONE, have managed to find your families."

Jack heaved in a breath, deciding that he needed to get out of the mess himself. Inhaling and exhaling, he quickly used his heel to stomp onto Williams toes, the man dropped the knife with a yelp, allowing Jack to turn out of his arms. June rushed in, using her staff to whack the man across the head, while Quint caught Jack from collapsing face first into the concrete.

The group let out a breath one the danger was over, helping Jack regain his footing, as they continued on through the park to the exit.

"What about William, we-we can't leave him here." Jack stuttered out, taking heaving breaths after each word.

"Really? He just tried to kill you and you want to bring him back with us?" Dirk questioned, looking at Jack confused.

"He- he doesn't deserve to be- found by the Collectors after failing." As he turned around to face the man, he stood in shock as the cold blade of a knife slid into his shoulder.

"JACK!" June shouted in destress running over to help the teen before he hit the concrete. Skaelka immediately getting rid of the threat with her axe as she appeared next to the group.

Jack looked at his friends desperately as his legs gave out, June and Dirk aiding the boy down slower.

"NO! JACK!" Quint screamed, rushing down to the trio.

Jack glanced at Quint with dazed eyes, his lead lolling as another round of coughs racked his body. The group gasping at the sight of blood on his lips.

"We can't treat him here, the Collectors are going to come back soon." Bardle spoke up to the group, watching the distance for any kind of enemy.

"I can help until we're safe." Barb stated, kneeling down to Jacks level. She tore a strip of fabric off the bottom of her shirt, tying it tightly around Jack's shoulder, apologizing every time he flinched. "That should keep the blood loss down until we're out." 

They all stood up, Dirk managing to bridal carry the half unconscious boy as they ran towards the exit. 

"Dirk, make sure that he stays awake." Barb instructed.

"You got it lady." He replied. "Come on bro, keep those eyes open." He shouted when he realized that Jacks eyes were clenched shut.

Jack mumbled as his eyes drifted back open to ease his friends worry.

"THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!" The team picked up their speed when the Leader sent out the warning to his lackeys, Jack letting out a raspy yelp as he was bumped around.

"Sorry man." Dirk grunted as he continued to run.

"Get Jack to Big Mama, we'll deal with the rest." June commanded, shooing him away towards the truck.

"No... no." Jack mumbled, attempting to get Dirk to let him go.

"Woah, I've got no idea what you're doing, but we've got to get out of here." Dirk panicked as he tried to stop the boy from taking a tumble to the ground.

"Dont-dont leave em, pl-please." 

"I'm not you nerd, can't you care about yourself for once?" Dirk scolded Jack, as they finally made it to the truck.

Jack winced as he was placed into the backseat, grunting at the pain in his torso.

The group was fighting the best they could from on the battle field, June, Barb and Grey fought together, teaming up against the enemies.

Bardle used his magic to hold some of them in status while Skaelka used her axe on them. 

Quint had snuck off at one point, thinking of a plan on the spot, he ran over to the control centre of the zoo. He bypassed their security, and used his gadget to open all of the enclosure doors. He rushed back to the group after celebrating his feat.

He ran through the group, telling them all to get back to the vehicle. As they did all of the angry creatures surrounded the Collectors.

They watched the group of evil get swallowed by their prize, before running back to Big Mama.

Dirk was already in the drivers seat by the time they returned. They hopped into the vehicle before they were off back towards the treehouse.

"You did it, we're free!" Grey celebrated as they pulled away, their smile turning to a frown when they realized that Jack was starting to fade.

"Come on buddy, don't give up on us now." Quint gulped, the teen getting paler by the moment, his dead drooping as his vision got darker.

"You've got to stay awake kid, don't close your eyes." Barb commanded, giving his shoulder the slightest shake.

Jack breathed out a shallow breath. "'m sorry." He mumbled as he slumped over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me....
> 
> Alrighty friends, one more chapter to go! (I know I said 9, but I went through my draft again and found only 8, please excuse my math) It'll be posted tomorrow!
> 
> Have a great day!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imma post this in the middle of the night so that you all are surprised when you wake up.  
> Either that or y'all are just as crazy as me and stay up until 4 every night, don't worry, I won't judge.

Dirk slammed the gas petal to the floor at the shouts of concern in the backseat, making it back to town in record time.

They filed out of the vehicle quickly once it was in park, Dirk rushing into the back to grab Jack from the backseat.

Barb instructed him to bring the teen to the treehouse, using the lift to get up, the group squeezed into the home.

Dirk placed the boy onto the couch and allowed the doctor to do her work with the help of Bardle.

The rest of the teens stood around the kitchen, waiting for something to happen where they would need to be of help.

Grey walked over to them solemnly, but a sad smile adorning their face. "I wanted to thank you guys, we would never have gotten the chance to be free if it wasn't for all of you." They gestured towards the treehouses occupants.

"It was no problem, and it gave us a chance to learn that we aren't the last ones left on earth after all." June replied, ecstatic to finally meet other humans, although her joy was buried by her worry for their friend.

"I can't believe William would do that, after all we've been through he betrayed us." Grey trembled as they wrapped their arms around themselves.

"People do weird things for love, even if others get into the cross fire." Dirk piped in.

They stood silently for a while, listening to the grunts and few spoken words from the living room.

All of their hearts dropped when they heard the blood curdling scream from Jack. Tears lined their cheeks as their minds went to dark places.

It was light out by the time Barb and Bardle re-entered the kitchen, looking fatigued and worn down.

"He will be alright." All of the teens let out an exhale of relief at Barbs words. "I needed the help of Bardles magic to reset the bone without surgery, and thankfully the wound on his shoulder didn't hit anything vital." 

"He's ok though?" Quint asked hopefully.

"He's ok, he just needs rest and care now." The room brightened, the group joining in on a hug at the news that their family member was going to be completely fine.

"I hope you guys don't mind if I stick around until he's better." Barb asked sheepishly.

"You don't have to leave, you could stay with us!" June replied, looking forlorn when she realized that the other humans weren't going to stay.

"I would love to, and we'll visit, but Grey and I made a deal that we would go looking for our loved ones together. I have to find my son, it's the most important thing to me."

"Don't worry, we will be back, and try and keep in touch." Grey affirmed.

"We understand, and wish you well on your journey when you're ready to go." Quint spoke up, giving them the confirmation that they needed.

\--------------------------------

Jack opened his eyes into slivers, noticing the destress on all of his friends faces. "What- what happened." 

"He's awake!" Quint rejoiced, gathering the attention of everyone in the room.

"How are you feeling Jack?" Barb asked with a smile.

"It's sore, but better." He replied as he rubbed his eye with his fist.

"Thats great." She smiled, standing up to allow his friends to surround him.

"What happened?" He questioned once again, allowing June to help him sit up against the couch.

"What do you remember?" Quint inquired.

"I- I remember the zoo, and parts of the rescue, but the rest is all a blur." He placed his hand onto his head, as if it would help him regain his memory.

"Well for starters you had two broken ribs, one of which had punctured a lung." Barb started. "And William betrayed us." She spoke sadly. "I've had Bardle keep you asleep for the past week to help you heal and reduce the discomfort."

"Is William?" He began to question.

"He's gone." 

"Oh." He exhaled at the news. Jerking his head up quickly he spoke in surprise. "Hold up, I've been crashed out here for a whole week!?"

"Yea, it's been hard, you were in rough shape, but we're glad to see you awake friend." Quint answered, sitting down next to Jack.

"And the Collectors?" He wondered.

"We went back a few days ago, everyone was freed and the Collectors seem to have disappeared." June spoke, sitting on his other side.

He looked up towards Barb and Grey. "I told you that you could trust these guys." He beamed, watching their faces light up.

\----------------------------------

A few days later they were all standing outside of the treehouse. Barb and Grey had decided that it was time for them to move on and find their own families.

"I wanted to thank you all again, because of you, we're able to go look for our families." Grey stated while putting their backpack on.

"We're really going to miss you guys." Jack replied, as he helped Barb pack up hers.

The group had given the two people loads of supplies to help them on their journey, along with a spare walkie with the channel they used for if they ever need their help again.

"Do you think you can let us know if you run into anyone else?" June asked, hoping that they would be able to find her and Quints families while hunting for their own.

"We sure will." Grey answered back, giving her shoulder a nudge.

"Well, it looks like it's time for us to get going." Barb reported as she gathered the last of her items. "It was amazing to meet you all, we'll see you soon." She opened her arms as an invitation for a group hug. 

The team laughed as they piled into each others arms, tears shed at the thought of saying good bye before they separated.

"Jack." Barb motioned for him to come over to her. "Stay safe kiddo, I'll tell James that you say hi when I find him." She pulled him in for one more hug, still mindful of his chest. "You're going to be amazing."

He teared up at the words, holding her closer. "Thank you." He whisper as they let go.

"Ready?" Barb turned to Grey.

"Ready." They replied, taking off from the town, the townspeople waving at the two as they walked away.

"It looks like we're going to be just fine." Jack smiled as his family wrapped their arms around each other as they watched the two walk away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of this wild ride, I enjoyed writing it, and really hope you all enjoyed reading it.   
> I am very thankful from all of the support from everybody, it's been incredible.
> 
> Unfortunately this might be the last fic for a few months, I've lost my hyper focus on this fandom and can't seem to get the characters correct anymore.  
> Don't worry though, I've got a feeling that I might produce a couple more within the coming months, and know for sure that I'll probably do a bunch more once season 4 comes out and I can once again be stimulated by the fandom.
> 
> I'll be around, and if anyone wants to chat on discord or insta just let me know! 
> 
> Later y'all and happy holidays, hopefully this shit show of a year will come to an end soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Y'all, tis I again back with something new and long (for once)  
> Just going to let you know that this wasn't done in one part, oh ho no, when I'm writing I'll have 15 half ideas at once, so I usually put (Write later) in my drafts. Im fairly certain I had 23 of those on a single draft at one time that I just kept switching between.
> 
> Again thanks for the support and as a gift, the whole fic is already done! I'm just going to space out the posting times because why not.
> 
> Please tell me if there's any spelling mistakes or something that doesn't make sense, this was written around 3-4am every night for the past 2 weeks and... I honestly don't remember what I've written


End file.
